Draco Amor: Esreot's Story
by Esreot
Summary: This is the story of Esreot. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by a manakete, Tiki, the voice of Naga. Once he was old enough, he left on a quest to kill Grima once and for all. Will he be successful? Or will he fail? Story takes place five years after the events of Fire Emblem: Awakening. Original Character/Tiki. Rated M for later chapters. First part of a series I'm writing.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Nothing that could possibly be recognized belongs to me. It is Nintendo's, or something like that. Insert more legal stuff here.

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Author's Note: Esreot is NOT the avatar. Robin is. He will appear later in the year is 2616 Alkenian Calendar. I did the math from this timeline: . The events of Awakening occur in the year 2609-2611. This story takes place 5 years later. Most of the characters in Awakening are just supporting characters, with my own original characters being the main characters. Also, Draco Amor is Latin and translates to "Dragon's Love".

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September 26, 2616 - 8:12 - Ylisstol: Random street

A figure was hidden in the shadows, masked by the darkness. The figure was tracking someone. The figure's eyes narrowed at the sight of his target, a teal-haired man, somewhere in his 20's, and about average in height and weight. This man, named Esreot was walking down the street. Esreot was thankful for his warm cloak, which was holding off the bitter cold of the autumn morning. As he was walking, he heard running footsteps, followed by a flash of pink running into him.

"Owww...", was what came after the collision. Esreot got up from the ground and observed his collider. She was a pink, pig-tailed teenage girl that looked like she was in a hurry.

Esreot strode over to her and held out his hand. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." The girl glanced up at him with big blue eyes. She reached out a grabbed his hand and was lifted to her feet. She was short, about 4 3/4 feet tall. She quickly let go of his hand.

"You should pay more attention next time! Some people aren't as forgiving as I am.", the girl, clearly angry, said in a child-like voice. Her face changed when she realized that she was being slowed down. "Oh..uh...sorry gotta go!", she said before sprinting off. She stopped and turned around. She looked at the ground and blushed,"Oh and... thanks.", is all she said before running off again.

Esreot just stood there for a moment. Wonder where she's running off to?, he thought. He continued his walk to the palace, seeking an audience with the Exalt, Chrom. The figure in the shadows continued to follow him. Esreot, taking the pink-haired girl's advice to heart, noticed more running around a corner. This time though, he was ready. He stopped and braced himself just as a little blond girl came racing around the bend, crashing into him. She was small though, so Esreot wasn't moved at all. The same cannot be said of the girl. She rebounded and fell. However, Esreot quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her up, saving her from falling. Again? At least I was ready this time. This girl was was shorter and younger, probably 12 or 13.

"Hey, are you alright?", Esreot asked concerned.

"Huh? What?", she said confused for a second. She then realized her position and stepped back. "I'm so very sorry! You aren't hurt are you? I was in a hurry and should have been watching where I was going. I'm sorry!" She started apologizing and asking him if he was alright.

"Whoa, calm down. I'm fine. I should be asking if you are alright."

"Oh, I'm fine. Sorry again."

"At least you're more polite than the other girl who ran into me." The girl's face lit up.

"You saw some other girl? Which way did she go? When did you see her?", she asked really fast.

"Slow down there. She had pink hair and ran that way in a hurry.", he said pointy the way he came. "Saw her only a few moments ago. Do you know her?"

"Yeah, she's my big sister. Thanks, and sorry again!", she said before chasing after her rude older sister. What happened between them? Maybe they got in a fight. It didn't matter thought, as he figured that it was not his business. He once again continued his travel to the palace. The figure in the shadows made note to be more careful as to not be spotted, as now Esreot was paying much more attention to his surroundings.

Eventually, Esreot made it to the palace gates. "Who goes there?", came a voice from atop the wall. Esreot looked up and saw the face of an average looking knight clad in emerald armor.

"I am Esreot. I seek an audience with the Exalt.", answered Esreot.

"Esreot? Is that foreign?", asked the knight. He ruffled his already untidy hair in confusion. "Do you have appointment? Because if you don't, I can't let you through."

"Ummm...Not really. But we know each other. I helped his troops defeat the Valmese soldiers at the Great Mila Tree five years ago. The Exalt said that if I needed anything, he would be glad to give me assistance." Esreot doubted that he would be granted passage. He began thinking of backup plans to achieve his goal.

"Well, why didn't you say so? I was at that battle too." The knight turned to the guard in charge of the gate. "Let him through."

"Yes sir." The guard open the gate and signaled for Esreot to go through. He continued through and thanked the guard. The green-clad knight was waiting for him on the other side.

"I'm Stahl. I'll be your guide. Welcome to the Ylissean Palace!", the knight said, leading Esreot onward. "You said that you helped the Shepherds at the Mila Tree five years ago. I don't remember you being there."

"It was a long time ago. I was just passing through and saw the Valmese fighting with some other forces. I thought it must be the resistance, so I helped out. You probably never saw me. I only talked the Exalt, his knight, and your tactician. Then, I was on my way.", Esreot explained.

"Oh, that makes sense.", Stahl said as they were making their way to the throne room. Once they got there, no one was there. "I wonder where he could have gone." They left the throne room and thought for a moment, when Lissa came down some stairs. "Hey, Lissa!" She turned at the calling of her name as Stahl and Esreot came over to her.

"Hey to you Stahl. Who's the new guy?" She asked quizzically.

"This is Esreot. He helped us five years ago at the Mila Tree." Stahl answered her question.

"Hmmm...I don't remem- WAIT! You're that cute guy that was riding the wyvern! I remember you!" She suddenly outbursted.

"You know him?" Stahl asked.

"Cute?" Esreot questioned to no one in particular.

"Well, I didn't know him. I just saw him during the battle and when he was talking to Chrom. I asked Chrom who he was and he just said that you were some passerby and had already left." She elaborated. Her mention of Chrom reminded Stahl of their problem.

"Oh yeah, speaking of Chrom, do you know where he went?" Stahl asked.

"I think he was training with Frederick, Vaike, and Robin." Lissa replied.

"Thanks. We should get going, Esreot, before he leaves the training grounds. Thanks Lissa." And with that they went their separate ways. Stahl led them to the training grounds, where combat could be heard. The clangs of blades clashing cut through the morning calm. Esreot took in the training ground. Most of it was grass, with a few sand pits over to the side. Weapon racks were lined up against the stone wall. Barrels of water were scattered throughout the grounds. Over in one of the sand pits was Chrom fighting a bare chested man with spiky blond hair wielding an axe. To their right was another sand pit dominated by a knight in blue armor training someone in a black cloak with purple eyes running down the sleeves on how to use a lance. They were just finishing up when Stahl and Esreot arrived. Chrom was still training with the blond fighter.

"Come on, I'll introduce you." Stahl said, heading over to the second sandpit.

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So, how was it? Please leave a review. I welcome any kind of criticism, so feel free to say whatever you please.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nothing that could possibly be recognized belongs to me. It is Nintendo's, or something like that. Insert more legal stuff here.

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September 26, 2616 - 8:40 - Ylisstol: Palace training grounds

As Stahl led him toward the blue armored knight and his training partner, Esreot began to look back on his life. He began thinking about his past, his home, and his parents that he never knew. He continued to dig deeper into his history, attempting to think of a summary to convey to the Exalt to justify his request and the reason for him journeying to Ylisse. He started to get lost in his memories. His mind's eye drifted from the present to the past.

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October 15, 2591 - 21:20 - Valm: The Divine Dragon Grounds

25 years ago

It was dark. It was cold. And the best part? It was raining. _Damn this rain!_ A woman cursed as she was walking to the temple at a brisk pace, wrapped up in a heavy cloak while holding something close to her chest. If she remained in the rain much longer, she would go into hypothermic shock. _Damn this cold!_ She had reached the grand marble entrance. Twin sculptures of powerful dragons flanked the glorious stair that led up to the temple. But with the current weather conditions and her inevitable collapse, the woman had no time to admire the scenery. She strode up the steps, trying to get to the top as quickly as possible. This proved to be a mistake, as the downpour made the marble slippery. The woman slipped, but quickly caught herself and recovered.

_But most of all_...The woman reached the top of the steps. She strode over to the huge doors leading into the the temple. Kneeling down, she placed what she was holding on to so dearly in front of the door, protected by a cloak from the harsh winds and rain. Her shivering hands pulled off the pendant that she was wearing and set it on top of the cloak. With the last remains of her strength, the woman pounded on the entrance. She waited a few seconds and then knocked again and again. She hit the door one last time before turning around and starting down the steps and fleeing into the storm.

_But most of all...Damn myself. Damn myself for not being able to care for you._

The great doors of the temple creaked open. A young woman poked her head out cautiously, trying to find the source of the loud noises disturbing her sleep. When she didn't see anything, she was started to close the door. She stopped when she heard a soft noise, barely audible over the howling winds and pouring rain from the ground. The woman looked down. At the base of the door, she saw a something bundled up in a cloth. She knelt down and picked it up. The woman almost dropped it in surprise. Inside the cloak was a baby!

_What is a infant doing out here in this storm?_ Thought the woman. She brought him inside and closed the door. It wasn't until she inspected the teal-haired baby in the torch light that she saw a green jeweled pendant. _Dragonstone? Why does this human baby have a dragonstone pendant?_

"Did you find out what the noise was?" Stirred from her thoughts by the question, the woman looked up. A little girl with short, mint green hair tucked behind her pointed ears yawned and stood there, awaiting an answer.

"Huh... Oh, sorry Neva. No, but I found this baby. He's asleep." Neva came closer to have a look.

"How could he possibly sleep through a storm like this?" She asked. "Ahhh...He's such cute widdle baby."

"He doesn't look much younger than you." The woman said teasingly.

"Hey! Tiki, that was mean! I'm a big girl now!"

"I know. I'm sorry Neva. Forgive me?"

"Hmmph! Fine. But only this time." Neva yawned again. "Hey, what are we going to do about the baby?" She raised a good question. What were they going to do?

"Everybody's asleep. We will have to resolve this tomorrow morning. I will take care of the baby for tonight." Tiki started off to her chambers. "You should go back to sleep, Neva."

"You're right. Good night." Neva said as she returned to her chambers.

"Good night." Tiki replied before entering her quarters. She went over to her bed and sat down._ Now what am I going to do with you?_ She laid down and stroked the baby's hair. She held him close, keeping him warm until she fell asleep.

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Author's note: The temple is the same one that is at the Divine Dragon Grounds in the game. The game never said that there wasn't any other manaketes living in it, so I decided that there is.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Nothing that could possibly be recognized belongs to me. It is Nintendo's, or something like that. Insert more legal stuff here.

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October 16, 2591 - 9:43 - Valm: The Divine Dragon Grounds

All of the manaketes had been summoned for a meeting. They all sat in a large semi-circle around Tiki, who stood in the center, holding the enigma baby. The settlement in the temple only housed about 20 or so people. Some of that number, like Neva, were still just waking up and struggling to keep their eyes open. Others, like Tiki and the red cloaked Bantu, were wide awake. Tiki put the baby in a basket before her.

"You are all probably wondering why I summoned you here today." No reaction from the audience. Tiki cleared her throat. "Last night, I heard a loud, pounding noise of the front gate. Naturally, I went to investigate. When I opened the door, no one was there." A slight murmur went through the crowd. "Just before giving up and closing the doors, I saw this baby on the doorstep. Even though he is human, he carries a pendant made with dragonstone." That last statement caused a burst of questions and comments from the congregation. Tiki attempted to maintain order, but ultimately failed. Just before she was about to raise her voice, Neva did it for her.

"EVERYBODY, SHUT UP!" Everyone went silent and looked at her. "Tiki's trying to say something." Neva looked at Tiki, followed by the rest of the council.

Tiki sighed. "Thank you Neva. As I was saying, what are we to do with this baby?"

"I say we through it out over the cliff. We have no time or need to spend on filthy humans." said a middle aged man in a green cloak. "They should know that we don't welcome their kind."

"Don't you think that's a little harsh Cahorg? He's just a baby. He's innocent." Neva countered.

"Quiet child! You have no place in the matters of adults!" Cahorg retorted. "This infant is an unclean contamination! It has no place among us higher beings. Toss it off the cliff and be done with this piece of rubbish!"

"What gives you the idea that humans are uncleansed abominations?" Questioned Tiki.

"They kill our kind for no reason! They can't be trusted!" Cahorg answered.

"Not all humans are like that! Some humans have good will in their hea-."

"Like that pathetic Marth boy that you are so obsessed about?" Cahorg hit a nerve there and he knew it. Tiki stopped talking. Her gaze dropped to the ground, her eyes hidden by her hair.

"Marth... Marth wasn't pathetic. He was the strongest human I have ever seen. Nay, strongest person!" Tiki was trembling with anger. "And I will not just stand here and listen to you insult him!" Tiki thought about reaching for her dragonstone before being interrupted by someone clearing their their throat. She looked to the source of the sound to she Bantu standing.

"We all agree that the Hero King was no ordinary human. Without him, the world would probably be in ruins. Let us return to the matter at hand. This child has some connection with Manaketes." Bantu's words made everyone forget their anger and return to said matter. "Let us take a vote to ascertain the fate of the child. Yay or nay in favor of casting it aside?" Cahorg and roughly half of the council voted to be rid of the baby. Tiki, Neva, and the other half voted to keep it. It was a draw, with Bantu himself remaining neutral.

"It seems that it is at a stalemate." Bantu observed. Since he was the eldest of the group, he had seniority, and thus, the final say. "Allow me to ponder our options for a moment." Bantu sat and thought for a minute.

"You can't seriously be considering letting this...creature...to stay here with us?" Cahorg asked.

"Enough... You can keep the child." Tiki's face lit up at his decision. "However..." Tiki's smile faded. "If you can't raise him to be a good human such as the Hero King, he will be banished from our grounds."

"You do not need to worry Bantu. I will raise him to be honorable as Marth himself." Tiki replied. Cahorg was furious at Bantu's choice. As the meeting disbanded, Tiki picked up the basket containing the baby and left to the main courtyard, followed by Neva.

"Gods, what's his problem?" Asked Neva looking back at Cahorg, who was conversing with Bantu. "I mean, seriously? He's just a baby. There's no way he could do any of the things he said."

"He doesn't trust humans. He doesn't even give them a chance." Tiki explained. They came to a bench and sat down. Tiki cradled the baby in her arms.

"Well, maybe... Umm...What are we going to call him?" Neva questioned. Tiki thought for a second. She had been considering a few names to give to the baby since last night. Tiki looked into the baby's eyes, a set of vivid violet eyes.

"How about...Esreot? I think it fits him." Tiki responded.

"Esreot...I like it! Mysterious, just like him. Anyways, maybe Esreot here can change Cahorg's opinion on humans." Neva thought outloud.

"Maybe. Let's just hope it's for better and not for worse."


End file.
